Consuming beverages to relieve fatigue has long been known in the art. Coffee beverages are consumed throughout the world for stimulatory effects. Yerba maté is a beverage common in South America where it is consumed for its stimulatory effects. Yerba maté is made from the stems and leaves of Ilex paraguarensis, a member of the Holly family, Aquifoliaceae. The mate beverage is usually prepared by one or more additions of boiling water to the dried plant material. The repeated additions of boiled water extract the stimulants from the plant.
Caffeine is considered the principal stimulant in Yerba maté and in coffee beverages. However, excessive consumption of caffeine can give rise to undesirable side effects, such as palpitations, nausea, urinary dysfunction and visual disturbances.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is gaining increasing attention in the West. For example. Ephedra, an extract of the plant Ephedra sinica, also known as ma huang has been used as a dietary supplement for treating asthma and hay fever. Ginseng is an additional example of an herbal extract found in supplements and foodstuffs in the West. In some cases, however, the stimulants may have unhealthful effects. In particular, Ephedra use has been associated with serious side effects and, in some cases, death. The Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of ephedra in 2006.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for beverages that provide an energy-enhancing stimulatory effect but do not require high caffeine levels.